Expressing milk - how much for a 4 month baby in a 12 hour period

[Shanster]

Hi there,

I am hoping for some reassurance from any other working mums who express. I have been back at work for a month now, and my baby is 17 weeks. I feed her at 5am before I leave, then she takes 2 5 ounce bottles while I am gone (one at 10am and another at 1pm), when I feed her again at 5pm when I get home. Is this enough? She was taking more a few weeks ago, but I found out my Mum was 'forcing' her to take the bottle, despite her gagging and pushing it away. DH is now looking after her during the day, and he just lets her take the bottle when she has an interest in it. My freezer is filling up with all the excess milk I have pumped at work!!

She seems happy enough and doesn't appear to be starving at 5pm when I get home, but 10 ounces doesn't sound like enough. If you expressed while working, how much did your baby take?

Goodness me, thank heavens your dh has taken over!

Making a gorgeous 17 wk old baby gag by force feeding is absolutely terrible.

Your baby will have stable periods, then periods when she is hungry, or having a growth spurt as we liked to call it.

Take the cue from her. Small babies sleep a lot and you do not need to worry as long as she is steadily gaining weight, it might not be a lot of weight at first, but again that can be in fits and starts.

Mums of Bfed babies do not weigh the milk babies consume so don't worry.

Your milk supply sounds fab, there's nothing wrong with freezing the extra.

Enjoy your baby, the key is she is happy enough!